Food

Also called alaria and resembling pappardelle pasta noodles when rehydrated, lightly vegetal wakame is what you’re most likely to finding floating in miso soup, but it can also be the starring green in a riff on pesto. Slather the seaweed pesto between meaty slabs of tofu and you’ve got a hearty vegan main dish. The briny pesto can also be dolloped on grain bowls, grilled steak, or cooked fish.

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Arame is a dark brown Japanese sea veg sold as long, wiry strands that are rich in dietary fibre. Its mild flavour makes arame one of the most versatile seaweeds and a great addition to salads and soups, as it won’t overpower other ingredients. Each spoonful of this nourishing guise of minestrone is sheer comfort.

Tips

• This soup will thicken upon resting, so stir in additional broth when simmering leftovers.
• Rehydrated and chopped kombu or wakame can be used in lieu of arame, and other bean choices include cranberry, kidney, cannellini, or orca.

Cauliflower turns silky smooth—without any cream in sight—when boiled and blended into soup. Gently spiced, roasted chickpeas add a welcome contrasting crunch and chew.

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The chances of finding someone who hasn’t unapologetically devoured a package of chocolate peanut butter morsels at some point in time is as likely as a snowstorm in the Sahara. And, yes, making a batch of homemade better-for-you cups filled with creamy peanut butter goodness is far from a high-flying feat. Plus, you get the chance to elevate them with exciting add-ins such as spices, crunchy cacao nibs, and a whisper of salt. If you don’t want to use peanut butter, almond butter works great too. Or if you want these to be nut free, employ sunflower butter. For the most antioxidant goodness, choose chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa.

Holiday feasts just don’t seem complete without the presence of a heaping bowlful of stuffing. And while it’s tempting to reach for the store-bought boxed variety during the festive season time crunch, what’s unappetizing is the refined carbs and laundry list of mystery items that most often populate ingredient lists. After all, who ever says, “Mmm, disodium inosinate”? This easy from-scratch version ditches the soggy white bread for much healthier quinoa and packs in plenty of satisfying herby flavour. Roasted sweet potatoes add creamy texture, and chunks of pear deliver seasonal sweetness to please a crowd. Nobody will be tempted to drown this stuffing in gravy.

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Packets of instant oatmeal can help you keep your sanity during hectic mornings, but their sky-high sugar levels are unappetizing. Instead, spoon up this DIY version of a classic instant oatmeal flavour that lets you still enjoy a warm breakfast in a flash but without the nutritional baggage. The addition of walnuts and flax provide heart-healthy fats.

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Rich in cream and refined sugars, eggnog is a devilish seasonal treat if there ever was one. Take a pass on the additive-laden store-bought cartons in favour of this healthier version that proves eggnog with no eggs can still leave you in a festive mood. Blended cashews and toasted coconut give the drink its oh-so-good creaminess, while dates infuse the sweetness that good eggnog commands. Serve with a dusting of nutmeg.

Tips

• For a finer drink, strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve or use a nut milk bag.
• The drink can also be warmed on the stovetop and a different seasonal flavour can be had by omitting vanilla in favour of 1/2 tsp (2 mL) peppermint extract. Or turn it into a grown-up drink with a splash of whisky.

Chocolate and peppermint is a match made in holiday taste-bud heaven. This Peppermint Fudge Smoothie lets you indulge without fear of a sugar crash. The avocado not only lends a great creaminess to this smoothie, but also provides a host of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and folate that help keep our body and immune system healthy during these colder months.

An Asian-influenced creamy sunflower butter sauce that’s strewn over seared slabs of tofu is a recipe for a hearty vegan main dish. For a complete meal, serve alongside a salad and cooked whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa.

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Black, pearly lentils serve as a springboard for these satisfying tacos that are stuffed with all sorts of attention grabbers: ultra-sweet mango, buttery avocado, and crunchy pumpkin seeds. And lining your tortillas with spinach is an easy way to up the nutritional ante. The key is not to overcook the lentils, as you still want them to have some bite.

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With a couple of cellar vegetables, some spices, and a little added freshness, you have the most restorative, feel-good stew imaginable. The coconut milk adds just the right amount of richness to tame the sharp ginger and spices. There’s so much flavour going on here, but this warming pot of nourishment couldn’t be simpler to make. I list spinach for the greens here, but chopped kale, chard, collards, or mustard greens would all be excellent in its place.

The walnuts in the sauce and topping of this creamy gratin make for a satisfying dose of good fats and protein. This cozy dish is perfect with a little side salad. My gratin method here works with all kinds of thinly sliced vegetables, including potatoes and sweet potatoes, and even small florets of broccoli and cauliflower. Nutritional yeast (an inactive yeast) is what brings the slightly cheesy and savoury flavour. It can be found in spice aisles of supermarkets.

This is a gorgeous winter salad with some textural interest from cooked lentils that are roasted until crispy and chewy. I turn to root vegetable and cabbage-based salads and slaws in the cold months because I find I’m less likely to crave a leafy, water-heavy salad. It seems that the body naturally craves foods that will help it to seasonally adapt. You can use any mix of root vegetables you like or have on hand.

On a trip to Montreal with friends, we shared a broccoli-based “Caesar” salad as a starter plate. It featured a whole broccoli stalk that had been charred on a grill, finished in the oven, and then smothered in Caesar dressing. It was so good that I would have fought everyone at the table for the last bite. The smoky tempeh makes this a more filling vegetable course, too. I blanch the broccoli here, but I’ve also prepared this salad with roasted broccoli florets as a warm salad. Just place the florets on a baking sheet, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast in a 400 F (200 C) oven for about 20 minutes or so.

I find vegan pastry particularly hard to master without the use of vegetable shortening, vegan margarine, and the like. I stay away from these ingredients, and an oil-based crust can be tricky, messy beast. I skip the whole thing here and just slice sweet and regular potatoes into thin coins, fan them out on top of this vegetable and bean pot pie, and roast them until crispy and crust-like. The result has all of the effect of a traditional pot pie with much less effort.  

Bright, inviting winter citrus punctuates creamy dairy-free coconut yogurt imbued with vanilla. It’s a sophisticated treat that can be dialled up in presentation or kept rustic, retaining its homespun vibe.

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This meal is an incredible investment piece. Both the eggplant burgers and tomato jam freeze well, so you can heat and eat at a moment’s notice.

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Take inspiration from your local salad bar to turn your take-along or at-home lunches into a cafeteria-style feast—hold the hefty price tag.

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Homemade power snacks that require neither a laundry list of ingredients nor an oven can be whipped up in a flash. This flavour combo of coconut, coffee, chocolate, and banana makes the everyday snack feel a bit more adult.

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This feast of flavours, textures, and colours is sure to garner praise from any lucky eaters. Full of energizing carbs, it’s an especially great dish to serve on days when you’ve had a vigorous workout. The sorghum, roasted sweet potato, and tahini sauce can be made up to three days in advance and chilled.

Tip

This is a gorgeous winter salad with some textural interest from cooked lentils that are roasted until crispy and chewy. I turn to root vegetable and cabbage-based salads and slaws in the cold months because I find I’m less likely to crave a leafy, water-heavy salad. It seems that the body naturally craves foods that will help it to seasonally adapt. You can use any mix of root vegetables you like or have on hand.

The walnuts in the sauce and topping of this creamy gratin make for a satisfying dose of good fats and protein. This cozy dish is perfect with a little side salad. My gratin method here works with all kinds of thinly sliced vegetables, including potatoes and sweet potatoes, and even small florets of broccoli and cauliflower. Nutritional yeast (an inactive yeast) is what brings the slightly cheesy and savory flavor. It can be found in spice aisles of supermarkets.

On a trip to Montreal with friends, we shared a broccoli-based “Caesar” salad as a starter plate. It featured a whole broccoli stalk that had been charred on a grill, finished in the oven and then smothered in Caesar dressing. It was so good that I would have fought everyone at the table for the last bite. The smoky tempeh makes this a more filling vegetable course, too. I blanch the broccoli here, but I’ve also prepared this salad with roasted broccoli florets as a warm salad. Just place the florets on a baking sheet, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 400 F oven for about 20 minutes or so.